Is Elly De La Cruz The Best Rookie of 2023?
Elly De La Cruz is a name everybody should know by now. He has only played 38 games in the MLB but has already established a name for himself. When thinking about characteristics that an ideal baseball player would have, Elly De La Cruz is the whole package. Not only does he have offensive power and speed, but he also has insane strength and mental agility.
27.0 ft/sec is a solid sprint speed for any average MLB player, but for Elly De La Cruz, that's nothing. De La Cruz is ranked #1 on Google’s Statcast Speed Leaderboard with an average sprint speed of 30.4 ft/sec. He uses his speed to his advantage, recording nine doubles and two triples through the 38 games he has played. Out of 41 hits, De La Cruz is averaging a double or triple 26.8% of the time, which takes into account both his speed and hitting abilities. His multi-base hits show his insane speed well, but he also has a 100% stolen base average with 17 stolen bases and 17 attempts which just elevates the claim that he is the fastest MLB player.
Speed is just one aspect of the elite skill base that Elly De La Cruz has, but even if he didn't have his speed, he would still record many hits. Through these 38 games, he has a .279 batting average and four home runs. De La Cruz has been clutch for the Reds so far this season, with him also having 16 RBIs and an OPS of .763. You're probably thinking that these stats aren't outstanding, but did you know that he is also the first Cincinnati Red player to hit for the cycle since 1989? De La Cruz completed the full cycle by hitting a single, double, triple, and home run all in one game.
Even though De La Cruz is a solid player offensively, his defensive side is where he really shines. De La Cruz plays both shortstop and third base and has 35 assists in each position. He also has recorded seven double plays and has an average fielding percentage of .982. With these stats, he is also the infielder with the highest throwing velocity throughout the MLB. Before De La Cruz came into the league, the fastest infielder assist recorded by Statcast was 96.1 mph, but this star rookie easily broke that. Apparently, setting the record with a throw of 97.9 mph just wasn't enough because, on July 20th, De La Cruz broke his own record with a throw to home which registered at 99.8 mph
After reading this article, you should truly see how good Elly De La Cruz is; if you didn't already know, and if you still don't believe in his raw talent, then read this again because these stats are way too exceptional to be overlooked. These are his stats in only 38 games, so what are we going to see in the future? Will he become the next face of baseball, or is he just a one-hit wonder?